DAWA judge: Rajeshwaran Gopal

Rajeshwaran Gopal, Group Sommelier at Samadhi Retreats in Singapore, is a judge in the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA).

Armed with almost two decades of experience plus a multitude of awards tucked tightly under his belt, Rajesh Gopal is no stranger to the F&B industry in the Asia region. Since the beginning of his profession in 1996, Rajesh has built up an impressive résumé, decorated with some of the most celebrated restaurants in both Singapore and Malaysia. The Samadhi Retreats’ Group Sommelier cited the number of years spent with Les Amis group in Singapore, along with Hilton (KL), Cilantro restaurant (KL) and notably Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne in Marina Bay Sands (SG), as one of the highlights of his career.
After clinching two awards in 2011 for Malaysia’s Best Sommelier and South East Asia Sommelier Competition, Rajesh continued to firmly establish himself even further in the industry by being among the first Asian to qualify as Advanced Sommelier by Court of Master Sommeliers. Rajesh has also participated in international competitions such as Asia Oceania competition in Daejeaon, South Korea and the 14th World Sommelier Competition in Tokyo, where he was placed as one of the Top 30 sommeliers in the world. Rajeshwaran Gopal has been a Decanter Asia Wine Awards judge since 2015.